Game #66: New York Rangers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Open Thread

The Rangers are back in action following Tuesday’s victory over the Carolina Hurricanes. Peter Laviolette’s squad is in Tampa to square off with another member of the old Southeast Division in what could be an opening round playoff preview against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

If the 2023-24 campaign ended today, the Rangers and Lightning would meet in the first round of the playoffs. The Lightning currently occupy the Eastern Conference’s top Wild Card spot, while the Blueshirts sit atop the Metropolitan Division but behind the Atlantic Division-leading Florida Panthers in the conference standings, meaning the top Wild Card team is Broadway bound. In spite of their loss to Tampa in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, the Rangers have had their way with the Lightning in the regular season as of late. New York boars a 7-0-1 regular season record dating back to the 2021-22 season, and will look to improve on that mark with yet another win tonight.

Player to Watch: Jonny Brodzinski

The odd man out of the lineup following New York’s acquisitions of Alex Wennberg and Jack Roslovic at the trade deadline, Brodzinski dressed for Tuesday’s victory following Matt Rempe’s four game suspension. With three more games before Rempe is eligible to return, look for Brodzinski to make the most of the opportunity and try to stake his claim to a lineup spot moving forward.

Enjoy the game!